Polarimetric binocular three-dimensional imaging in turbid water with multi-feature self-supervised learning

Abstract Polarization imaging provides significant advantages in underwater environments. However, existing polarization underwater imaging methods primarily focus on leveraging polarization information to suppress the scattering effect to achieve the clear vision, while neglecting other valuable in...

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Main Authors: Linghao Shen, Liping Zhang, Pengfei Qi, Xun Zhang, Xiaobo Li, Yizhao Huang, Yongqiang Zhao, Haofeng Hu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: SpringerOpen 2025-08-01
Series:PhotoniX
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1186/s43074-025-00185-4
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author Linghao Shen
Liping Zhang
Pengfei Qi
Xun Zhang
Xiaobo Li
Yizhao Huang
Yongqiang Zhao
Haofeng Hu
author_facet Linghao Shen
Liping Zhang
Pengfei Qi
Xun Zhang
Xiaobo Li
Yizhao Huang
Yongqiang Zhao
Haofeng Hu
author_sort Linghao Shen
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Polarization imaging provides significant advantages in underwater environments. However, existing polarization underwater imaging methods primarily focus on leveraging polarization information to suppress the scattering effect to achieve the clear vision, while neglecting other valuable information contained in polarization images, such as the scene depth and the polarization characteristics of the objects. This paper proposes a self-supervised three-dimensional underwater imaging method based on a polarization binocular imager. In addition to improving image quality in turbid water based on polarization imaging, the proposed method merges features from both the enhanced binocular images recovered from polarization information and the feature-rich degree of polarization images into the self-supervised framework to estimate disparities of the scene, achieving high-quality reconstruction of underwater scene depth. We then design multiple self-supervised losses that effectively integrate depth information obtained from both binocular imaging and polarization imaging to guide the learning process. Meanwhile, the proposed method can recover the polarization information of the objects in turbid water, thus enhancing the perception of target properties such as the materials of the objects. Both the simulated experiment and the real-world experiments in the sea demonstrate the effectiveness and superiority of the proposed method.
format Article
id doaj-art-98494bd8068b453b966f96566e8919a1
institution Kabale University
issn 2662-1991
language English
publishDate 2025-08-01
publisher SpringerOpen
record_format Article
series PhotoniX
spelling doaj-art-98494bd8068b453b966f96566e8919a12025-08-24T11:48:55ZengSpringerOpenPhotoniX2662-19912025-08-016112110.1186/s43074-025-00185-4Polarimetric binocular three-dimensional imaging in turbid water with multi-feature self-supervised learningLinghao Shen0Liping Zhang1Pengfei Qi2Xun Zhang3Xiaobo Li4Yizhao Huang5Yongqiang Zhao6Haofeng Hu7School of Marine Science and Technology, Tianjin UniversityMartinos Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical SchoolSchool of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Nanyang Technological UniversitySchool of Automation, Northwestern Polytechnical UniversitySchool of Marine Science and Technology, Tianjin UniversitySchool of Marine Science and Technology, Tianjin UniversitySchool of Automation, Northwestern Polytechnical UniversitySchool of Marine Science and Technology, Tianjin UniversityAbstract Polarization imaging provides significant advantages in underwater environments. However, existing polarization underwater imaging methods primarily focus on leveraging polarization information to suppress the scattering effect to achieve the clear vision, while neglecting other valuable information contained in polarization images, such as the scene depth and the polarization characteristics of the objects. This paper proposes a self-supervised three-dimensional underwater imaging method based on a polarization binocular imager. In addition to improving image quality in turbid water based on polarization imaging, the proposed method merges features from both the enhanced binocular images recovered from polarization information and the feature-rich degree of polarization images into the self-supervised framework to estimate disparities of the scene, achieving high-quality reconstruction of underwater scene depth. We then design multiple self-supervised losses that effectively integrate depth information obtained from both binocular imaging and polarization imaging to guide the learning process. Meanwhile, the proposed method can recover the polarization information of the objects in turbid water, thus enhancing the perception of target properties such as the materials of the objects. Both the simulated experiment and the real-world experiments in the sea demonstrate the effectiveness and superiority of the proposed method.https://doi.org/10.1186/s43074-025-00185-4Underwater imagingPolarimetric binocular imagingDepth estimationSelf-supervised learning
spellingShingle Linghao Shen
Liping Zhang
Pengfei Qi
Xun Zhang
Xiaobo Li
Yizhao Huang
Yongqiang Zhao
Haofeng Hu
Polarimetric binocular three-dimensional imaging in turbid water with multi-feature self-supervised learning
PhotoniX
Underwater imaging
Polarimetric binocular imaging
Depth estimation
Self-supervised learning
title Polarimetric binocular three-dimensional imaging in turbid water with multi-feature self-supervised learning
title_full Polarimetric binocular three-dimensional imaging in turbid water with multi-feature self-supervised learning
title_fullStr Polarimetric binocular three-dimensional imaging in turbid water with multi-feature self-supervised learning
title_full_unstemmed Polarimetric binocular three-dimensional imaging in turbid water with multi-feature self-supervised learning
title_short Polarimetric binocular three-dimensional imaging in turbid water with multi-feature self-supervised learning
title_sort polarimetric binocular three dimensional imaging in turbid water with multi feature self supervised learning
topic Underwater imaging
Polarimetric binocular imaging
Depth estimation
Self-supervised learning
url https://doi.org/10.1186/s43074-025-00185-4
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AT pengfeiqi polarimetricbinocularthreedimensionalimaginginturbidwaterwithmultifeatureselfsupervisedlearning
AT xunzhang polarimetricbinocularthreedimensionalimaginginturbidwaterwithmultifeatureselfsupervisedlearning
AT xiaoboli polarimetricbinocularthreedimensionalimaginginturbidwaterwithmultifeatureselfsupervisedlearning
AT yizhaohuang polarimetricbinocularthreedimensionalimaginginturbidwaterwithmultifeatureselfsupervisedlearning
AT yongqiangzhao polarimetricbinocularthreedimensionalimaginginturbidwaterwithmultifeatureselfsupervisedlearning
AT haofenghu polarimetricbinocularthreedimensionalimaginginturbidwaterwithmultifeatureselfsupervisedlearning